Family rejects Luo burial traditions for ex-NIS officer Opiyo

A potential clash is looming between the family of Elvis Opiyo and Luo traditionalists over how the late National Intelligence Service (NIS) employee should be buried, following his death in what authorities have classified as a suspected suicide.

Opiyo, who was at the centre of a widely publicised acid attack case involving his girlfriend and fellow choir member, Mary Claire, died on August 11, 2026, at his residence in Umoja Two, Nairobi. An autopsy reportedly established poisoning as the cause of death, while authorities have classified the incident as a suspected suicide.

Reports indicate that shortly before his death, he had been summoned to Nairobi and allegedly received a dismissal letter in relation to an ongoing case.

Family members and acquaintances said he had been experiencing considerable emotional, psychological instability following his recent legal challenges. This came to a climax when he received a dismissal letter from his seniors. His death came amid reports of depression and anxiety.

His body was discovered in his apartment after relatives became concerned when they were unable to reach him by phone. The remains were initially taken to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital Mortuary before being transferred to Rongo, Migori County, where burial preparations are under way.

His burial is scheduled for August 31.

Particular rituals

But even as the family prepares to lay him to rest, questions are emerging over whether traditional Luo burial practices related to suicide will be adhered to.

According to members of the Luo Council of Elders, traditional customs prescribe particular rituals where a person is believed to have committed suicide.

Jothan Andu, a member of the Luo Council of Elders in Migori, said suicide is traditionally regarded as a serious taboo and a bad omen within the community.

“It is considered a bad thing, a bad omen for a Luo to commit suicide. So, in line with Luo culture, some rituals have to be done to cleanse the menace,” Andu said.

He cited traditional practices that would be undertaken depending on the circumstances surrounding the death. For instance, he said, where a person dies by hanging from a tree, traditional practice requires the person to be beaten before the rope is cut, while the tree is uprooted and burnt.

He added that traditionally, only a limited number of people would attend such a burial and that the burial would take place quickly.

But Andu acknowledged that Christianity and Western influence have significantly changed some traditional practices in Luo communities.

He said, however, that people who continue to observe traditional customs still adhere to such practices.

“The whole idea is to discourage people from following this route and prevent the spirits from causing evil in our community. I am sure even Christianity or any other religion would not condone suicide or any other such evil acts,” Andu told The Nairobian.

Stephen Odit, a teacher, elder and pastor with extensive knowledge of Luo culture, also outlined several practices traditionally associated with the burial of a person who dies by suicide. He said traditionally, the person who first discovers the body should cane him or her as part of a purification ritual.

Odit went on to say that such a person would traditionally be buried outside the main family homestead, while certain rituals would be performed before and during the burial.

He explained that, under some traditional practices: The body would not be taken into the homestead through the main gate. Instead, it would be brought through a small opening known in Dholuo as roth. Before burial, the body would traditionally be removed from the coffin and given at least seven strokes of the cane by maternal uncles.

Mourners would traditionally be expected not to weep during certain funeral rites. The deceased would not be buried within the main homestead but in a secluded or abandoned section of family land, traditionally referred to as gunda.

The deceased’s name would traditionally not be given to another child in the family, in an effort to prevent the perceived return of the spirit associated with the death.

Some personal belongings of the deceased could traditionally be destroyed or burnt. In some circumstances, the burial could take place at night.

Christian burial

However, Opiyo’s family has strongly rejected the prospect of such rituals, saying they are Christians and intend to give him a Christian burial.

Speaking to the Nairobian, Cathy Olando, Opiyo’s aunt, was categorical that the family would not allow traditional rites to determine how he is laid to rest.

“Elvis was a good father to his two kids and the best husband to his wife. He took care of his family and never neglected them. He was okay even when he left home for Nairobi. He didn’t talk to me; he was a man of few words. I don’t know why he decided to commit suicide after being given the dismissal letter,” She said.

“No traditional burial rites will be condoned. He will be buried normally. We are Christians,” she emphasised.

Olando also criticised people who have continued to condemn Opiyo on social media following his death, urging the public to leave the deceased to rest.

She said Opiyo, despite the circumstances surrounding his death, remained a loved member of the family and a father to two children.

“Our son has rested; let him rest. Everything that he did has come to an end,” she said.

She further criticised what she observes as harsh judgment and social media commentary directed at the deceased and his family.

“We loved Elvis, adored him. He was a good father to his two kids and a good husband. Yes, he was a good husband. But just like everyone else, he made a mistake. We’ve all done one or two things we regret; it’s just that we live with them because everyone walks a path best known to them,” she said.

Olando went on to disclose that the family would proceed with the burial according to its Christian faith and would ensure that Opiyo is accorded dignity in death.

“It is not in your place to judge,” she said, adding that the family would continue to love Opiyo despite the circumstances surrounding his death.

“We shall bury our son with dignity, and we love him even in death. Not all love stories have happy endings.”

The impending burial has therefore brought into sharp focus the tension that can arise between deeply rooted cultural practices and the beliefs of Christian families seeking to conduct modern religious funerals.

For Opiyo’s family, the decision appears settled: he will be buried as a Christian, while traditionalists maintain that customary rites remain important for deaths considered taboo under Luo culture.